Sign



'0a. 27,1930. C. G. MCDONALD SIGN Filed sept. 25, 1955 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGN Colin G. McDonald, Spokane, Wash. Application september 25, 1935, serial No. 42,076

5 Claims.

This invention relates to signs and one object of the invention is to provide an illuminated sign so constructed that when it is in operation it has the appearance of a neon sign but in reality is a sign consisting of letters or other characters having colored light pro-jected thereon.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the sign that While the display portion will be mounted in such position that it can be readily seen the illuminating means will be housed in a casing serving to conceal the same and pre- Vent the light from glaring in thel eyes of a person looking at the sign.'

Another object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated sign wherein the light bulb is mounted in a housing having a concealed reilector associated-therewith and serving'to direct light from the bulb against the display portion of the sign.`

Another object ofthe invention is to so mount the letters or other characters constituting the display portion of the, sign that the display portion may be tilted to adjusted positions and thus placed at such an angle that it can be easily seen and read.

Another object of the inventionis to provide an illuminated sign which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and not liable to get out of order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved sign.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken transversely through the sign along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner of adjustably connecting the display portion of the sign with the light casing.

This improved sign consists, briefly, of a display portion I and an illuminating portion 2 in the form of a housing and casing having a light bulb mounted therein for directing light against the display portion mounted at the back of the casing in an elevated position where it can be easily seen by persons looking at the sign.

The illuminating portion has a housing or casing 3 formed with a bottom 4, end walls 5, a rear side wall 6, and a front side wall 1, the front wall 1 being curved vertically when viewed in cross section, as shown in Figure 2, and merging into a top 8 which is cut out, as shown at 9, to provide an opening closed by a panel I0 of colored glass or other light penetrable material. This glass panel bears against the inner face of the top wall 8 and is held in closing relation (Cl. Illl-430) to the opening 9 by clips II secured against the top wall adjacent opposite sides of the opening. Any number of the clips desired may be provided and if so desired flanges extending longitudinally of the opening may be substituted for the clips. One of the end walls should be removable to permit access to the interior of the housing whereby the glass panel may be applied and also a bulb I2 screwed into the socket I3 mounted at one end of the housing as shown in Figure 1. Power wires I4 for the socket eX- tend into the housing at a rear corner thereof. The bulb I2 is of the elongated tubular form and extends substantially the full length of the housing and when viewed in cross section is concentric to the curved or arcuate wall 1, Light from the bulb is to be projected through the glass panel towards the display portion of the sign and inorder tov do so there has been provided a sheet I5 of polished metal having a portion bearing closely against the inner face of the curved front Wall 'I with its edge abutting the adjacent clips II and for the remainder of its Width extending flat and at an upward incline from the bottom 4 with its other side edge bearing against the clips at the rear ledge of the opening 9. By this arrangement the bulb will be concealed in the front portion of the housing and light from the bulb will be projected upwardly through the panel I0 and towards the display I mounted in an elevated position at the rear of the housing.

The display in the illustration consists of letters forming a name but it is to be understood that any other name or combination of words or characters may be substituted in place of the name shown in Figure l of the drawing.. This name consists of letters united to each other in scroll formation and formed of glass tubing, copper tubing plated, polished aluminum, brass or any other polished metal desired. The letters may be separately formed and suitably united to each other or an entire name or otherI word or series of wo-rds formed from a single tube. The letters constituting the first and last letters of the name carry `depending Shanks II having their lower end portions bent to form fingers or pins I8 and referring to Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that these lingers which are circular in cross section are engaged through bearing brackets I9 secured against the outer face of the rear side wall 6 by screws 20. Therefore, the display will be mounted for swinging movement towards and away from the housing and can be adjusted te such a position that a person standing in front of the sign can obtain a clear view of the display.

The light from the bulb passes through the colored glass panel and, therefore, the letters of the display which are highly polished will be colored in accordance with the color of the panel and the display will have the appearance of a neon sign. If so* desired the bulb I2 may be colored in which case clear glass may be used for the panel instead of colored glass or the panel omitted.

When this sign is in use it is mounted in a window or upon a suitable support so located that a person will face the curved front wall and look towards the display when approaching the sign. The bulb is concealed by the housing and the curved front wall 1 causes light from the bulb to be projected upwardly through the panel at such an angle that it will strike the display. By properly adjusting the display the light can be caused to brilliantly illuminate the letters thereof and the display will have the appearance of a neon" sign. If so desired a second housing constructed the same as that disclosed may be provided with the display between them, thus permitting the display to be illuminated from both sides viewed from either side.

I have, therefore, provided a sign which will be very attractive in appearance, eflicient in operation and not liable toI get out of order.

Having thus described the invention, what is claime-d as new is:-

l. A sign comprising a housing open at its top, a source of light in said housing, means for directing light upwardly and rearwardly through the open top of the housing, a display disposed rearwardly of the open top of the housing and formed of linear material having a light reecting surface facing forwardly in the path of light from the source of light whereby when the sign is in operation the display will have the appearance of being internally illuminated, said display having depending sections forming shanks having their lower end portions bent transversely to provide horizontally extending pintles, and bearings carried by said housing and engaging said pintles to pivotally mount the display.

2. A sign comprising a housing open at its top and having a bottom, end walls and front and roar side walls, a display exten-ding upwardly from the rear side of said housing and having depending Shanks provided with horizontal pintles at their lower ends, bearing brackets carried by the rear wall and engaging said pintles to pivotally mount the display for tilting adjustment to'- wards and away from the open top of the housing, and means for projecting light from the housing through the open top thereof against the display.

3. A sign comprising a housing open at its top and having a bottom, end walls and front and rear side walls, a, display formed of tubular light refleeting material rising from the rear side of the housing and having depending Shanks provided with horizontal pintles at their lower ends, bearing brackets carried by the rear side wall and engaging said pintles to pivotally mount the display for angular adjustment, and a source of light in the housing adjacent the front side wall.

4. A sign comprising a housing open at its top and having a bottom, end walls and front and rear side walls, the front wall being arcuate in vertical cross section, a display formed of tubular light reflecting material rising from the rear side of the housing and having depending shanks provided with horizontal pintles at their lower ends, bearing brackets carried by the rear side wall and engaging said pintles to pivotally mount the display for angular adjustment, a light socket at one end of said housing adjacent the front side wall, a bulb carried by said socket, a sheet of reileeting material having a curved side portion in at engagement with the inner face of the front side wall and for the remainder of its width extending across the housing at an upward incline under the open top thereof, and a panel of colored light penetrable material closing the open top of the housing whereby light projected from the bulb out of the housing to illuminate the display will be tinted.

5. A sign comprising a housing open at its top and having a bottom, end walls and front and rear side walls, the front wall being arcuate in vertical cross section, a display rising from the rear side of said housing, a light socket in said housing adjacent the front wall, a bulb carried by said socket, a sheet of reecting material having a curved side portion in ilat engagement with the inner face of the front wall and for the remainder of its width extending across the housing at an upward incline under the open top thereof, and a panel of colored light penetrable material closing the open top of the housing whereby light projected from the bulb will be tinted.

COLIN G. MCDONALD. 

